Analysis by the Environmental Working Group found that sewage sludge has contaminated almost 20 million acres (80,937sq km) of US cropland with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals", which are commonly found in plastic products and do not break down under normal environmental conditions.
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No rainwater on Earth is safe for consumption and use as per-, and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) readily contaminate the hydrological ecosystem (properties, distribution, and circulation of water), according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology. This finding is concerning as it adds to research demonstrating chemical pollutants exceed the “planetary boundary” contamination and needs addressing.
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PFAS have been used since the 1950s in products ranging from food packaging to firefighting foam. They've been recognized as contaminants in agriculture and are believed to be entering soil through the application of biosolids, industrial sludges and ashes, which may contain these compounds that are difficult to break down. Currently, there are no federal thresholds for PFAS contamination in food crops.
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The U.S. FDA is “responsible for protecting the public health.” As part of that mission, the agency has been positioning itself as taking a tougher stance with companies involved in the manufacturing and use of a harmful group of widely used industrial chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, short-handed as PFAS.
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US EPA's 503 sludge rule (1993) allows treated sewage sludges, aka biosolids, to be land-applied to farms, forests, parks, school playgrounds, home gardens and other private and public lands
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The city's actions are a wake-up call that the entire nation regularly consumes foods grown on fields fertilized with sludge.
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